1 dead, 4 injured in Suya Palace Hookah Lounge shooting in North Austin

Press Release: On Saturday, January 28, 2023, at approximately 10:17 p.m., Austin Police Department (APD) officers responded to a shooting at the Moon Palace Hooka Lounge at 12636 Research Boulevard. Officers at the scene found five victims with gunshot wounds, including Brayden Bolyard. Despite lifesaving efforts, Bolyard died at the scene. Paramedics took the other four victims to several local hospitals.

Throughout the investigation, detectives determined that the shooter had prior history with one of the victims. The suspect shot him and four other victims before leaving the scene.

A person of interest has been identified.

Anyone with any information should contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.

This case is being investigated as Austin’s 8th homicide of 2023.

Original Report:

According to the Austin Police Department, a shooting that took place in the northwest section of the city on Saturday night left one dead and four others injured. The fact that some of them attended Jarrell High School was confirmed by the Jarrell Police Department on Sunday.

Williamson County Sheriff’s Posse – WCSP issued the following statement:

The WCSP would like offer our most sincere condolences and support to the families and friends of the victims involved in the incident on Saturday night that took the lives of two Jarrell High School students. Please reach out to us if we can be of assistance during this difficult time.

At 10:19 p.m., multiple calls to 911 were made regarding a shooting that took place at a hookah lounge located at 12636 Research Blvd.

When police from Austin arrived at the scene at 10:21 p.m., they discovered multiple people who had been shot. The police reported that they immediately began CPR and other lifesaving procedures while waiting for Austin-Travis County EMS to arrive.

According to ATCEMS, there were five patients involved in the shooting. At 10:42 p.m., the medical examiner pronounced the death of one individual at the site. Two individuals with critical, life-threatening injuries were transported to local trauma facilities and treated there.

The other two patients were sent to local trauma centres, and neither of them had injuries that were life-threatening. ATCEMS reports that one person had severe injuries.

A representative for the APD stated that this was an isolated incident and there was no known threat to the public. The police stated that they had no information on the suspect. APD stated that it was interviewing witnesses and anticipated to have more information soon.

Police in Jarrell stated on Sunday that they had no plans to divulge any information while they and other agencies investigated, but that they wanted to “our our deepest sympathies and assistance to the families and friends of the victims.” It added that it would collaborate with Jarrell Independent School District to “ensure the safety and security of its students and staff” and that it would provide school resource officers in addition to the district’s mobilised crisis team and counsellors to meet with any member of the school community who requires assistance.

According to Degollado, gunshots are getting increasingly frequent in this area of Austin.

“North Austin is not like it used to be. I mean, this used to be like the suburbs when we first moved here,” she said.

According to the APD, this is Austin’s eighth homicide in 2023.